Double Coped Aluminum Channel Beam End Strength Procedure?

[Struct_Dre]

Hello Everyone,

I'm designing my first aluminum beam and one of my beam ends is double coped. I know that I need to check block shear rupture for the coped end, but I also know that the capacity of my beam should decrease due to the copes.

Can anyone point me in the direction of literature that shows the procedure to determine the strength of a double-coped aluminum channel beam?? I'm nervous to follow the procedure for steel b/c I've learned that aluminum beams behave different;y than steel beams.

I have the Aluminum Design Manual (2010), but I haven't found any info on coping yet.

Please help. any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Ron]

Just consider the reduced cross section.

 

[Struct_Dre]

Do you know if there are any special considerations for aluminum?

 

[Aesur]

I agree with Ron here, you should use the ADM and check the member for the reduced cross section. I am not aware of any special requirements for coped beams, it's just a cut creating a new shape.

 

[Settingsun]

Coped connections generally provide only partial twist restraint with respect to lateral-torsional buckling. Check the sensitivity of the beam to an increased effective length, increased by 2*D compared with full twist restraint as probably assumed by the code.

1*D if only one cope is in the segment being checked for LTB.